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Vibrance in the Kitchen

Color is introduced to this large kitchen in the fuchsia-painted ceiling and dark-stained floorboards. Within this dramatic "envelope," white cabinets reflect light from tall windows. The room is light enough to accommodate a wall of blackboard paint, a surface that absorbs light.

[n] If your kitchen is a place where your family convenes (and if its decor needs a surge of energy), just paint one wall a great bold color.

Excerpted from At Home with Color by Matthew and Grainne Dennison; Photography by Chris Everard. Published by Ryland Peters & Small, 2006. All rights reserved.